Meet the girl who ditched prom to help the homeless

For lots of high school students, prom is THE event of the year. However, student Ashley Yong felt a little differently about the school dance that was on her classmate's minds.

After saving up $250 to spend on the prom of her dreams, Ashley realized came to a very humble conclusion.

“What I was doing was pretty vain and self-absorbed", she told Huffington Post. "I was so consumed in figuring out how to make one night the best night of my life.”

So, instead of spending money on herself, Ashley skipped prom and set out to do good. She bought essential items like food, socks, and toothbrushes, and handed them out to the homeless people within her community.

Not only did her act of kindness help those in need, but it also taught Ashley an extremely valuable lesson.

“As my dad and I drove away from the children excitedly rummaging through boxes, I started crying. I told my dad I couldn’t believe how blessed we were.”

Ashley’s good deed didn't stop there—after ditching prom to help others, she started a GoFundMe campaign that has now raised over $5,000 to help the homeless community in Chicago. They're even looking for volunteers to help with her project over the summer!